Lost and Found
by terahteapot
Summary: 11 year old Rachel finds herself in a care home after a devastating car crash kills her dads, she lost everything she knew in a matter of moments. In a mess of loss, she never expected to find someone she'd dreamed about her whole life - her mother. Shelby is given full custody,but how will the two cope with living with the person they thought they lost all those many years ago? AU
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: When 11 year old Rachel finds herself shut up in a care home in Ohio, she has no idea what to think. She lost everything she loved, and nobody seemed to get what she was going through. But, the last thing she expected was for her mother to appear. Shelby is given full custody of her daughter, but how will the two cope with living with the person they thought they lost all those many years ago? AU**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, unfortunately, if I did, I would have had an entirely different situation happen with Rachel and Shelby.**

**_Chapter One_**

**_RACHEL POV: _**

_You're a good girl, Rachel. You're coping very well, Rachel. I know this must be very hard for you, Rachel. I understand how your feeling Rachel. _They were all lies, they had absolutely no idea what I was feeling. I hardly knew what I was feeling, everything inside me was mixed up and stirred about. I didn't know whether I was angry, sad, confused...It made me feel nauseous. No...I was...thirsty.

I remembered how my dad's had bought me a drink of water when they told me we would be moving to Ohio. I wish they would bring me a drink now. Maybe if I had made more of a fuss, thrown more of a tantrum, we wouldn't have got in the car this morning, we wouldn't have started driving to Ohio...maybe if I hadn't begged to stop at a service station to use the bathroom, we wouldn't have crashed into that truck, and my Dad's would still be alive. It was my fault that they were dead.

I collapse onto the dinosaur patterned duvet, and let a few tears fall from my eyes, "Come back." I whisper, "I need you." A sob escapes from the back of my throat, and I attempt to wipe the tears away, but they just keep coming. This annoys me, because now I'm on my own, I have to be strong, just like my Dad's. They were always tough for me, and now they weren't here, I had to take care of myself. I sit up, gulping back the tears, and instead rest my head against the wall and try and focus on the ceiling. It distracted me from crying, at least.

I stroke the cut on my neck, the stitches felt unfamiliar on my skin, and the black thread looked strange and ugly. I then move my hand to the scar on my lip, and the stitches look even weirder right there. I was sure everyone would laugh at me, it gave me all the more reason to avoid people. I wasn't sure I could face anyone right now...especially since I felt like screaming. If I took it out on someone here, forget another care home, think mental asylum-the one with padded cells, and I was sure that even though this place was bad-that would be worse.

A knock on my door distracts me from my thoughts. I vaguely remembered the woman who walked in, I think she was one of the first to come and see me, she was in her mid-twenties from what I could see, she had curly blonde hair and big blue eyes-and she was wearing a little too much make-up, bright blue eye shadow and fluorescent pink lipstick. "Hey, Rachel." She says.

"Hello." I whisper, I didn't really feel like talking to anyone, but my dad's raised me with manners, and I felt even more obligated to follow their priorities now...now they were...gone. The woman walks over to the bed I was sitting on and she folds her leg and joins me.

"So how are you holding up?" She asks me.

_Well, everything I know died three days ago, I've been dumped in this place, and I'm surrounded by people I don't know from Adam and Eve. But apart from that I'm just fine. _But of course I couldn't say that, so instead I simply answered with a nice, safe, "Fine."

The woman nodded awkwardly, "Do you want to talk about anything? Because I'm here if you want to vent." How could I tell her about everything, when I had no idea who she was? She was a stranger to me, so I simply shake my head, and then turn my gaze and attention back to my knees, hiding behind a curtain of thick dark brown hair. "Are you sure?" She pushes, and I nod again. "Well...dinner is in about fifteen minutes, we're having pizza, it's a takeaway treat."

I remember having pizza with my dad's the night before we left for Ohio, and I have to gulp back tears once again. I wish she would leave so I could cry without her seeing. I sigh, "I'm not hungry, thank you."

"Rachel, honey, you have to eat." The woman says, sounding desperate and concerned at the same time, "When was the last time you ate?"

"Yesterday morning." I admit, and the blonde puffs a strand of curls out of her face, seeming annoyed with me. It seemed I was being difficult. "I've been feeling kind of sick." I add in a small voice, "So..."

"At least try and come down, okay, sweetie." She says, patting my knee, before getting up and beginning to walk out of the room, she stops for a little bit as she reaches the door, "It might help." She tells me, and then she gets out. I bite my lip to stop it trembling. I didn't think it would help. I wasn't going to go down for dinner, as like I said, I felt sick. I was determined to stay in this room until I left, even if it meant installing a cat flap in my door to push food through.

Instead I throw myself off of the bed and reach in the small bag of my possessions, I bring out the photo of me and my dad's. It got slightly ripped during the crash, but one of the social workers lent me a roll of cello-tape and I managed to piece it back together. I can't remember who took it, but it was me when I was five, wearing an adorable silver snow hat and in a big white puffy coat that makes me look like a snowman. My cheeks are frost-bitten but I have a wide smile on my face, and both my dad's have their arms around me. It's my favourite photo. I gently hug it to my chest and I let some tears actually fall this time I crawl into the bed, fully clothed and with the photo clasped to my chest I bury myself under the covers, however uncomfortable, and fall into sleep.

**_SHELBY POV:_**

"False alarm."

I face palm myself, "Mare, I just drove over my speed limit from my job, I'm pretty sure I got swore at by at least fifteen different people, and you're telling me that it's a false alarm?"

"Sorry?" Mary squeaks, and I roll my eyes. I swear I had gone to her house at least twenty four times this week, with her phoning me up telling me she was going into labor, and all the time it was just a false alarm. One time she sat on the couch, got up, saw a puddle and thought her water broke, when really their dog had just peed on the couch, I love my sister I really do, but she was a really, really neurotic first mother. "Come in." My older sister tells me, gesturing to the door. I walk in her house and she leads me into her living room.

"Which one's the dog pee seat?" I tease her, and she slaps my arm.

She groans, "Shut up, Shelbs. And anyway, it's that one." She points to the brown leather arm-chair. "I had it cleaned thoroughly, cost a fortune, but Ed was so scared of me freaking out that he let me have it sent off."

"I don't blame him, Mare, I mean you're sort of...pregzilla." Mary throws a pillow at me and I start laughing. Our laughs however are drowned out by my phone ringing shrilly in my pocket, the sound of _Defying Gravity_ filling the room.

"Someone hasn't let go of the past." Mary teases me, and I throw the pillow back at her, making her growl. I hush her though, and bring my phone out from my handbag, there is no caller ID.

"Hello?" I answer confusedly.

"_Can I speak to...Shelby Corcoran, please._" A strange voice talks down the line, Mary gives me a puzzled look and I simply shrug at her, pressing my finger to my lips in a silent way of telling her to be quiet.

"Speaking." I say.

"_We're calling to regard the death of Leroy and Hiram Berry." _I choke on air, and Mary drops the glass of water she was holding. No. Those men who I gave my baby girl to all those years ago were...dead. Oh, my God. Tears begin to well up in my eyes, they were such good people. And then something hits me square in the chest, and the words rush to my lips before I can stop them.

"What about their daughter?" I cry. I probably sounded horribly insensitive and mean and disrespectful, but...I had to know about the baby! My baby. Mary is making strange gestures with her hands, and I frantically wave at her to shut up, we must look crazy.

"_Rachel Berry has been take into a care home. That's what we've called to talk about. We found both men's wills, we didn't expect to find a will since both men were so young but...we did. Would you mind coming to my office, Miss Corcoran, we'll email you the address as soon as possible. We need to talk about this in person." _I'm frustrated at the lack of information, but even so, I nod at Mary to get her laptop and open up my email account.

"Yes, thank you, please, email me tonight and I'll come over tomorrow." I pause, "Can you please tell me at least some information on Rachel Berry, please?" My tone is almost begging.

"I'm _sorry, Miss Corcoran, but we will have to discuss this tomorrow._" I growl, hearing this, "_Have a nice day now, and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow, goodbye." _The line is cut off and I lower the phone from my ear, in disbelief. Mary walks over to me and takes her hand in mine.

"Are you OK, Shelby?" She whispers quietly. Tears start running down my cheeks and soon enough I'm crying silently, Mary rubs my back soothingly, "Hey, it's OK, it's OK. It must be a...big shock."

"I can't believe it." I whimper, "I-I thought I lost her all those years ago, Mare. And now, I can't imagine what she is going through, the poor girl. She just lost her Dads and she must be feeling so alone...Oh, god..." I cry out. I felt overwhelmed, I didn't know what to think...all my emotions seemed to be pouring out in the form of tears. Eleven years ago I gave up my daughter, and I have regretted it even since.

I realized I made the mistake the first time I heard her heartbeat. Me and Mary had planned to fight a court case about it, fight to keep her, but...me, Mary, Hiram and Leroy had an argument, they'd said that we'd never win. Only days after she was born, they took her away, before we could even file for the case.

"I'm going to go with you tomorrow, Shelby." Mary promises me, "OK, we are going to that office tomorrow and we are going to see what they have to say. You are going to be OK, alright?"

I nod, wiping tears from my eyes. My daughter. Rachel. I must have missed so much in her life. Her first word. Her first steps. Her starting school. All those milestones in her life. The worst part was that I knew it was my fault, I gave up Rachel, I could have kept her, I shouldn't have signed the contract. She was so close that I could reach out and grab her-but I didn't. I should have.

I wonder what she's feeling right now. She must be scared, hell, I'd be heartbroken if both my parents died...and she was so young. Where would she go from here? I gave her to Hiram and Leroy because I knew that she would be raised with love and affection all her life. I never even thought of this, and now...I didn't want her to live the rest of her life in a care home. I wanted her to have a family. I wish I could have her back, I wish that she could come home to me.

I remember the lines I sang so often back when I was playing _Elphaba_ in _Wicked_. _Don't Wish, Don't Start, Wising Only Wounds The Heart. _They seemed to be appropriate due to the situation I was in right now, who was I kidding? They would never let her come home to me.

**Bad ending, I know, but I wanted to end it, because I didn't want everything to happen in the first chapter. I kind of want to experiment with new fandom's, and Glee is life...and Shelby and Rachel fics are my favourite. So what did you think? Favourite lines? Please give this story a chance! Please read and review, okay? I'll give you a shout-out next chapter! Bye...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, guys! Thank you for so much response on the first chapter! If you have any ideas for me then I would love to hear some suggestions! I already have one up my sleeve, special thanks to: Guest, DHKroeger18, Guest, Guest, ComplexStatus, and f00f00!**

**Summary: When 11 year old Rachel finds herself shut up in a care home in Ohio, she has no idea what to think. She lost everything she loved, and nobody seemed to get what she was going through. But, the last thing she expected was for her mother to appear. Shelby is given full custody of her daughter, but how will the two cope with living with the person they thought they lost all those many years ago? AU**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

**Chapter Two**

**_RACHEL POV:_**

"Rachel, please." The blonde, who's name I learned was April, begs me. We'd been having this conversation for about an hour now, it was pointless, seeming as it had long since passed in the time we had been arguing. "You have to eat, or you'll get sick." April says, she sounds simply exasperated.

"I feel ill." I say simply, "I don't want to eat anything. Please just leave me alone, I want to be alone." I turn my back on her, resting my chin on my knees, a position I had been sporting for four days. I hear April growl from behind me, and I wonder if she was finally going to snap, I realized that the social worker's smiles had been very fake. They seemed to be getting sick of me.

"It would be good for you to socialize, Rachel, you've been _alone_ for four days. Maybe it would help." April suggests. But how could it help? I didn't understand how these kids could assist me, I didn't even know them! They couldn't bring my Dads back, nobody could, so no one could help me. I just had to manage.

When she hears my no response, I hear her face palm herself. "Just...promise me that you will eat at lunch." I shrug, because I wanted her to leave. Me and her both knew that I wasn't going to eat at lunch. I couldn't escape the nauseous feeling that kept on overcoming me like a tidal wave.

She shuts the door and when she does, I move from my position. I walk over to the window above the cluttered dresser, and look through it. There was a garden outside, it reminded me of the one at home. There was a swing set, and a small vegetable patch. There were children out there, a few were my age, and others were smaller, playing with dolls on the grass, and there were older kids too, joking around together. One older girl catches my eye, and makes a rude symbol at me with his fingers at me. I gasp and look away, backing away quickly.

I hated this place. I wanted to go home. But...there was no home anymore, my real house had been sold and new people would be living in there now, and the one we were going to, the one that my Dads had been so excited about moving to...I wouldn't be allowed to live there on my own.

Why did it have to be my Dads? They didn't deserve to die, they were really good people, they never did anything wrong. I don't understand why it had to pan out like this...Yes, I did. I caused this, it was my fault. All my fault. I was a murderer, and no one seemed to know about it. Maybe if they did, I would call prison my home. At least then I'd have somewhere to call my house.

Was I an orphan? Because orphans are people who lost both their parents, but, I didn't have two parents, I had...three. I had two dads, and...my mom. But I never knew her, she gave me up, did she really count as my parent? No...she probably doesn't even know that I'm here, maybe she doesn't even care. She seemed perfectly fine with giving me away, so why would she?

**_SHELBY POV:_**

"Are you sure this is it?" I whisper, biting my nails anxiously.

Mary slaps my hand to stop me, "Stop it, Shelbs. Yes, I'm sure, I checked three times , this is the office." She looks at me intently, "Are you ready?" I nod, a little dry throated. Mare take hold of my hand and leads me into the doorway, where she raps loudly on the door with her knuckle.

We wait, and the ten seconds seems like years, it's agonizing. The door opens and who we see is a man with dark hair and dark blue eyes, he wears oversized black glasses. He is wearing a formal black suit and black tie, and he holds out his hand when he sees us both, "You must be Shelby Corcoran. I'm Jason Daemiro."

I shake his hand, "It's nice to meet you, Mr Daemiro. If you don't mind, I brought my sister along with me. For moral support."

"Hi!" Mary says, "I'm Mary Corcoran."

"Well, come in the both of you." Mr Daemiro tells us and we do as instructed, he leads us through a door, and we are welcomed into a office, painted grey, it's a simple room, a desk with files neatly piled upon it, two chairs opposite a revolving grey plush one. Mary and me sit ourselves down on the chairs, and Mr Daemiro sits in front of us both. The atmosphere is making me feel uneasy, my stomach feels funny, but maybe it was because I didn't eat breakfast this morning. "Now, as you know, Miss Corcoran, you are here regarding the last will and testament of Hiram and Leroy Berry." I nod, though desperately I wanted to know about Rachel.

"Well, it seems that you are included. I believe that you acted as a surrogate mother for the both?" I nod, biting my lip a little, "The first thing on their will is about their house:" He clears his throat, "They request that it is left to their parents, the day they died they were moving to a new house. But, their second request is about their daughter, Rachel Barbra Berry."

Mary takes my hand and squeezes it, and I'm grateful, as I hadn't realized I was shaking. "_If we are to die before our daughter reaches adulthood, then we hereby leave her in the care of her biological mother, Shelby Marie Corcoran._" My jaw drops to the floor, and I think my stomach fell out of my butt. Did I hear that right? Judging by my sister's face, I did. "Are you alright, Miss Corcoran? You've gone very pale." Mr Daemiro tells me.

"I-I-I...is that even legal?" I exclaim. "I mean, I gave Rachel up..."

"There are loopholes, Miss Corcoran. If the Berry men wanted you to take Rachel then you could, judging you accept. You are her biological mother after all." He continues. Mary looks at me with wide eyes.

"Shelbs?" She whispers. She looks at Mr Daemiro, "Could we have a minute, please?" He nods, "Thank you." Mary takes my hand and leads me out the room. I rest my head against the wall, letting everything sink in. "Shelby..." She starts.

"I...I don't know what to think." I murmur, "I'm not prepared to be a mother! I mean, I live in an apartment...I have a job, I..."

"You aren't in such different place as you were eleven years ago when you had Rachel." Mary gently tells me, "Shelby, you wanted Rachel back then. You want her back now. I know that this is a big shock, but, this little girl just lost everything she knew, and she needs her Mom."

"Mary!" I exclaim, shocked.

"I'm sorry, Shelby, but someone has to snap you out of this haze! Hiram and Leroy left Rachel to you." Mary says, "You are her Mom. Look..." She sighs, putting her head in her hands, "We'll help you. Me, Ed, Mom, Dad, Amelia...all of us." I gulp and rest my head on her shoulder.

"Since when did you become so mature?" I ask, tears pricking my eyes.

"Since you became my little sister." She tells me, "Now, we are going back into that office, and we are going to figure out what goes on from here." I nod, and together we walk back into the office and sit back down.

"Sorry about that." I mumble, "Where do we go from here?"

**_RACHEL POV:_**

I look at my empty plate in front of me, as if I didn't know they were all staring at me as if I was the newest exhibit in a museum. I gulp back the tears that threaten to spill, and then one of the kids speak. It's a girl about my age, she has a high black ponytail and she raises her eyebrows at me before saying, "So, how come you have black thread sewn into your face?"

I didn't see why I should answer when she was being so blatantly rude to me. No, instead I take a sip of water that was placed beside my plate. But, the girl didn't seem to give up, "Hey, man hands, I asked you a question."

"Santana." One of the social workers who was sitting with us at dinner snaps, "Don't speak to Rachel like that, it's rude, you know. We've talked about this." Santana rolls her big brown eyes. The woman then turns to me, "Rachel, this is getting ridiculous now. You have to eat something."

I shake my head, mumbling, "No thank you, I am not hungry."

"Rachel, maybe the reason you are feeling sick is because you are really hungry." The social worker suggests, but I shake my head again. She sighs and dumps a slice of bread and butter on my plate. I stare at it, before turning my gaze back to the social worker, a little angry that she didn't seem to be hearing me.

"I said I wasn't hungry." I say through gritted teeth. I'm so...frustrated! Nobody is listening to me. I think that they are forgetting that I am a person who has a opinion, and when I say no I mean no! I'm so angry, I get up out of my chair and storm out of the room. Some yell after me, some laugh, I can hear that mean witch Santana laughing, and I don't mean as in the green witch Elphaba witch, I mean the horrible kind. I run up to my room and throw myself on the bed. I cry into my pillow for what seems like hours, but then there's a knock on the door. "Go away!" I cry.

"Rachel." I remember that voice, it's April. She walks in to my room, completely ignoring my words. She comes and sits beside me on the bed, "Rachel, I have something I would like to talk to you about."

"If it's about me eating-" I start, but am infuriatingly cut off.

"No, no. Though, we do need to talk about that. It's just, Rachel, you can't stay in this home forever." April tells me, and my eyes widen.

"You're kicking me out! But, where am I supposed to live, I have no money!" I exclaim, hot tears seeping down my cheeks.

"No, no, no, Rachel, don't cry! Of course we aren't kicking you out!" April says hastily, "No, Rachel, it's just that you aren't an orphan."

"But my dads are..." I trail off, not wanting to say the word.

"We know." April says gently, "But today your father's will was read, and they requested that you would be left in the care of..." She hesitates, and yet I'm hanging onto her every word, "Your mother."

I gape at her, "But I don't even know her!"

"Rachel, you'll meet her." She reassures me, "We'll arrange a meeting, and if you what to take it slow, then we will take it as slow as you want." It wasn't really sinking in...my mother...wanted me?

**Another bad ending, I know, but next chapter will be the reunion! I'm sorry if things are boring at the moment but things will pick up once Shelby and Rachel meet one another. Please tell me your thoughts and thank you so much again for reviewing, following and favouriting! See you soon!**


	3. AN (Incredibly Important)

**Hey Everyone!**

**So, I started this story in kind of a rush, and now I'm thinking about it...I kind of want to restart it up! It will be the same storyline, only Rachel will be younger, and there will be a twist to it! Just tell me what you think and if I do restart then I really hope that you will support me and carry on reading! Also, remember if you review the chapter will give you a shout-out!**

**Love you all!**

**-terahteapot**


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